


Royal Blood

by TheFangedGoblin



Series: A Second Chance Series [2]
Category: True Blood
Genre: M/M, Rating: NC17
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-23
Updated: 2012-08-06
Packaged: 2017-11-10 13:53:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/467034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFangedGoblin/pseuds/TheFangedGoblin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <a href="http://s743.photobucket.com/user/A_Darker_Heaven/media/RoyalBlood_zps3rsycry7.jpg.html"></a>
  <img/>
</p><p>Eric is offered an invitation to visit King Russell and his lover, Talbot, and learns that the King of Mississippi has something to offer him. Little does Russell know that Eric has a plan of his own and schemes to seek revenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A special thanks to NurseDarry for encouragement and great beta work!

Eric stared down at the invitation. It was handwritten in fine calligraphy, addressed to him from the King of Mississippi himself, although he was pretty sure Talbot was responsible for the flamboyant, dramatic nature of the penmanship. Holding it up to his nose, Eric could even smell him there. 

This was an opportunity. To Eric, the invitation also reeked of age-old revenge that had been long overdue. No one but himself, not even his maker or his child, knew of his secret desire for vengeance against Russell. Eric would like to keep it that way, as he knew they would only try to stop him.

"The Mississippi King knows you are next in line to be King of Louisiana. He wants you as an ally," Godric said. He seemed to appear out of nowhere by his child’s side and looked curiously at the paper. Eric jumped, so distracted by the thought of revenge that he did not feel even his own maker's presence behind him. But when he turned to face his maker, his boiling anger simmered down instantly.

Godric was looking deceptively childlike today. He had not bothered to dress after he woke and just pulled on one of Eric's white oxford button-down shirts, the sleeves hanging down past his hands. As usual, he hadn't bothered with underwear. "Will you go?" the older vampire asked, looking up at his prodigy.

"I have not yet decided. Right now, you are too much of a distraction," Eric smirked playfully.

"You are jumpy today," Godric observed, completely ignoring Eric’s comment. He gently took the invitation out of Eric's hand so he could look at it. "Russell Edgington… He is a very old vampire. If you do go, you should be careful," Godric advised, not liking the thought of Eric gone from him.

The Viking knew it would be hard, if not impossible, to sneak around behind Godric's back. He did not know how he was going to do it, other than to try and keep his maker distracted and in the dark for as long as possible. "He might even be older than you. I'm sure you both would have a lot to reminisce about, if I gave you both the chance," Eric teased. He wished he could bring Godric with him but he was afraid to drag his maker into such a dangerous situation, especially as Eric knew Russell was perhaps one of the only vampires in the New World who could overpower Godric.

Godric hadn't considered that. It had been so long since he spoke to anyone even remotely older. "If you go, may I attend with you? It says you may bring a guest," he asked, looking up from the invitation at Eric through his too-long bangs. Since coming to Shreveport to be with Eric, he hadn't bothered to cut his hair and it had grown long.

"I'm just going to the party to be polite and to stay on the King's good side," Eric lied. Sure, he would want to be on his good side at first, until he killed him, of course. But Godric was the only one who could make Eric feel guilty about lying. 

"I'm afraid that Russell will see you as competition; I would worry for you."

"He will not be threatened." Godric dismissed the idea with a passive wave of his hand. He then laid the invitation on the table and reached out to run his hands up Eric's naked chest. He knew it was harder for his child to think if he were touching him. “I will blend in. No one will even look twice at me."

Eric knew that was impossible. Godric drew attention to himself without knowing it, without even trying. His very presence was like an electric current running through the room and it was impossible to look into those eyes and not see the power behind them. Yet Eric always had a hard time saying 'no' to Godric, not just because he was his maker, but because he could be so damn persuasive when he wanted to be. Eric sighed as Godric’s hands wandered up his chest. He knew then that he would give in. 

That was when he grabbed Godric around the waist and hurled him faster than any human could onto the bed and pounced on him as if he were prey. His fangs withdrew with a loud snap and he growled lustfully down at his maker. This sudden display of power was only meant to provoke Godric into taking the dominant position, and they both knew that.

Godric hated being startled and manhandled and Eric was well aware of that. The bothered older vampire’s own fangs snapped into place as he hissed angrily at Eric. "You know I hate it when you do that," he snarled, automatically rolling them over so he sat on top of his lover. He instantly felt more comfortable in this position and it settled his nerves. "You are trying to distract me, my child," he accused knowingly. "You do not wish for me to go with you."

"Just because I want to fuck you, I'm trying to distract you?" Eric accused right back, able to give as viciously as he could get. He knew that the more they argued about this, the more Godric would suspect something was up. That is, if he hadn’t already begun to. The taller vampire’s hands tried to distract smaller one again as they snaked up Godric's naked thighs underneath the oversized shirt.

"Yes!" Godric growled, but as Eric's hands explored him, his anger melted away. Still, he did not give up. "Eric..." he began, but it was becoming difficult to concentrate. “II want to go with you."

"Why?" Eric asked with the stubbornness of a child. Godric was now straddling Eric's waist, his fangs still withdrawn, and the Viking could see the tips of them through his slightly parted lips. Eric’s erection stood to attention between them underneath a pair of black silk pajama pants that did nothing to conceal him. His hands did not stop their attempts to distract and to turn this vampire boy made of stone into putty. They roamed up his defined thighs and over his chest.

"I do not wish to be left here by myself, I want to be with you," Godric answered, leaning down to nip at his child’s lips while his hand reached down to stroke him through his pants. Eric was the one to turn to putty then. "Please. I can be your little twink," Godric pleaded, smiling as if he were proud of himself to have remembered such a modern word.

Eric grunted and tried to bite Godric's own lips hard enough to draw blood. "You can be my little twink right here, right now, and when I return. You cannot be that at the party," he pointed out with a playful grin.

Godric stopped stroking Eric when he realized he was not going to get him to change his mind like this. He buried his face in Eric's neck and kissed the skin there, wiggling his hips in his lap as if to get even closer to him. "But I wish to go," he pouted.

It seemed that his strategy to convince Godric to give in was working against him. His maker had turned it around on him and now Eric was the one at his mercy. "I want you to stay safe..." At least that was not a lie. Eric wanted Godric as far away from Russell as possible, especially because he was working through the plan in his head, and it would end in messy bloodshed. He was willing to risk much to get his revenge, but he was never willing to risk Godric. "Russell has become irrational and violent in his old age." Eric's hand reached down to take his own erection out of its silk confides when restraining it became too painful.

"I will be careful, Eric," Godric whispered in his ear. He felt his child fumbling between them to pull out his erection and he nipped at his earlobe playfully before kissing down Eric’s chest. "Let me go to the party?" he asked again sweetly.

Eric's sizable erection was standing straight up between them and his entire body trembled as Godric's tongue swept up his chest. "That’s not fair. You're not playing fair," Eric whined, not wanting to give in, but needing so much more. "Touch me before I flip you over and take you myself," he threatened.

"I will let you have me, my needful lover, however you want me. If you take me to the party," Godric offered between kisses. He reached down between them to stroke Eric's cock, knowing exactly how to push his buttons. "You can tie me up, you can bend me over your desk… You can take me however you want."

A few strokes later, Eric was breaking underneath Godric's skillful hand. "Fine!" he barked and flashed his fangs.

Godric gave Eric a fanged smile in return before he sat up and lined his lover’s cock up with his entrance. He felt the head of Eric’s thick cock nudge his virginal entrance, but then he remembered something and stopped. "I don't wish to get blood on the sheets," he whispered before he slid down Eric’s body and took his cock in his mouth instead.

Eric cried out and bit his lip hard enough to draw blood as he tried to hold back from thrusting into that wet heat. He knew that if this continued, he would not be able to hold out. So he gathered up whatever strength he had and threw Godric onto his back beside him. "If you weren't so damn impatient, you would let me stretch you, and you would not bleed," Eric told him simply, and reached under the pillow for the neglected bottle of lube.

Godric had the patience of a saint, but not when it came to sex. "It takes too long," he whined, watching warily as Eric popped the top off the lube and coated his fingers. "Just put that on yourself and we will do it that way," he tried to compromise.

Eric frowned, but was determined to change his maker’s mind. For once, he wanted Godric to know what it felt like to be taken without even the slightest bit of pain. Knowing that Godric never liked to take things lying down, Eric repositioned him until Godric was straddling his hips again. "I'll make it feel good. Trust me," Eric pleaded, and he coated his fingers with lube before he probed one digit between Godric’s cheeks and inside of him.

"Of course I trust you," Godric whispered, biting his lip as Eric's finger entered him. "Now can we?" he asked impatiently only a moment later, his hand coming down to stroke Eric's cock as if to persuade him.

"You're so impatient," Eric teased as his finger sought out Godric’s prostate and rubbed it gently before a second finger joined the first. "No one ever took their time with you before me, and I want it to be good for you," he tried to explain. He did not know a lot about Godric's past, but he did know sexual abuse had once been something he’d endured.

At the moment Eric’s fingers rubbed his prostate, Godric could not force any more protests from his lips. He threw back his head and cried out. 

For the rest of the night, Eric set out to prove Godric wrong over and over and over again.

***

A few nights later, Eric and Godric pulled up to Russell Edgington's large mansion.

"Impressive," Godric said quietly as he opened the passenger door to Eric's Corvette and gracefully stepped out. "He certainly has good taste, at least," he told Eric when his child joined him. The house was old-fashioned in a way that only one as old as himself could truly appreciate it.

Eric stared disgustedly at the garish, oversized mansion. It was fit for a king, but Russell deserved nothing but death. Eric could feel his body strengthen with a rush of adrenaline just being that much closer to his secret arch-enemy. "It's really not that impressive. I could own a mansion twice as big if I were an arrogant, corrupt bastard like him," he muttered to his maker.

"You are very tense." Godric observed plainly. He wasn't sure what was going on with Eric, but he knew it had to do with the King of Mississippi. They walked up the porch stairs together and Godric reached out to take Eric's hand, hoping it would calm him. "I promise to be careful," he whispered, thinking that must be why Eric was so stressed.

When Godric slipped his smaller hand into Eric’s, the Viking suddenly wanted to tell him everything. It was as though their minds could connect even from a simple physical contact, and he wanted so badly to tell Godric what was weighing on his mind. But he could not. Not if he wanted to get his revenge. Godric would stop him for sure. 

"I don't trust the King and you shouldn't either," was all he said.

"You don't get to be as old as I am by trusting anyone, Child," Godric stated with a chuckle.

Finally, a doorman appeared and they made their way inside. Godric reluctantly let go of Eric's hand and the younger vampire had to remind himself to be patient. He had to earn Russell's trust first and foremost before he could move in for the kill. 

Maybe bringing Godric was actually a good idea, Eric schemed. Despite not wanting him to get involved, Godric’s presence showed the King that Eric trusted him with the one he loved the most. But when he would actually stake the bastard, he would make sure Godric was not anywhere near.

Talbot came to greet them with a seductive smile. Eric saw in him the perfect chance and nothing else. The exotic and beautiful Royal Consort smiled at Godric, but focused on the tall, handsome Viking. "Hellooo," Talbot looked him up and down flirtatiously, "Have we met?"

"Eric Northman, Sheriff of Louisiana Area Five," he introduced himself. "This is my maker, Godric. We have come on invite to see the King," he explained, his lips slightly upturned in a smile, his eyes never leaving Talbot's.

"Talbot, Royal Consort," he smiled, and Eric took his hand and leaned down to kiss it with old-fashioned romance that had the boy swooning.

On the outside, Godric appeared perfectly calm and untouchable. On the inside, he was thinking of tearing off Talbot's hand with just his bare teeth. The royal consort was beautiful and it was easy to see why Russell had chosen him. He was effortlessly charming in a way that reminded Godric of Eric. They would look beautiful together with their contrasting features. The thought made him grind his teeth together behind his lips.

"Right this way to the dining room," Talbot encouraged with another flirtatious smile towards Eric. He didn't even spare Godric a glance. The dining room was just as spectacular as the foyer. The King of Mississippi was engaged in conversation with another vampire when they came in, and they took two empty seats not too far from the head of the table.

"Russell, this is Eric Northman and his maker," Talbot introduced, interrupting his older lover. Russell stopped mid-sentence to look up at Eric. Instead of paying attention to them, Godric's eyes glanced around the room at the King’s collection of authentic antiques and, for a moment, was lost in his own world.

"It's a pleasure," Eric lied, and walked respectfully over to the seated King and dropped to his knees in supplication. The very motion of doing so made him sick, but this was more crucial than anything else.

That was what snapped Godric out of his daze and drew his attention back to his child. He had never seen Eric be so respectful to anyone but him before, and Godric was instantly suspicious of what Eric was up too. Godric did not move from his seat, and instead just gave a respectful nod when the King looked in his direction.

"The pleasure is mine, Eric Northman, I have heard much about you," Russell told Eric, already charmed by the gesture of the tall man. "There's no need to be so formal, but I appreciate your manners. They are very Old World."

Eric sported Russell his most seductive smile. "My maker has taught me to respect my elders and my Kings," he lied again. Sure, Godric had always taught him that, but he had never actually followed through with it. The only one he respected was Godric. He was Eric’s only king.

The Viking sat down in between his maker and the King and got right down to business. "I humbly request permission to hunt your territory for a vampire who has gone missing in my area," he lied. "Bill Compton... He is wanted for selling vampire blood." Eric prayed that his maker was still too distracted by the murals and statues in the room to speak up, but Godric looked over at him sharply and Eric held back from wincing. 

Godric kept quiet, however, because he did not know what Eric was up too.

"That is a heinous crime, indeed. Selling vampire blood is not something I take lightly. We should ask him about it," Russell suggested with a smile as Bill walked into the room. 

"You tried to pin that on me?" Bill demanded with an insincere smile and Godric just closed his eyes when he realized Eric had walked into whatever trap the King of Mississippi had laid. He sighed deeply and held himself back from boxing his child’s ears.

Eric’s fake smile dissolved and his eyes widening when he heard Bill’s familiar, irritating voice. He looked from the King to Talbot to Bill, realizing in horror that he had been caught. He did not have to look at Godric to know what he felt.

"We know Sophie-Anne had you selling vampire blood. See, Mr. Compton has accepted a position in my court and therefore keeps nothing from me," Russell explained before looking at Godric curiously. "Except, of course, the existence of your maker," he added, looking back at Bill who shifted nervously under his stare. That was a rather big piece of information to leave out when he had interrogated Bill earlier. "But I'm willing to put this whole V business behind us and make a fresh start. Especially since I like you, Northman, and you are in line for the throne of Louisiana. An alliance between the two of us could make us both very powerful."

"Interesting." Eric turned to Bill to give him a knowing smirk. "Which means... Sookie is no longer yours." He grinned in amusement at the news, if only to get Bill back for making him look like a lying fool in front of the King. As he taunted Bill, Eric stared intensely into his eyes. Bill was up to something, too.

Godric glared fiercely at Eric and Russell laughed as he watched the exchange. The King gently took Talbot’s hand in his as he spoke, "I suppose Eric and his maker don't share the same kind of relationship as we do."

"What a pity," Talbot said with a laugh, but eyed Eric the whole time. Eric would have spoken up and defended his relationship with his maker but his eyes were also focused on the dark, Greek man practically dangling himself in front of him.

"I insist that you stay the day," Russell told them suddenly.

"You're too kind," Eric gave Russell and Talbot both charming smiles before taking a sip from his 'cruelty-free' blood margarita. He could really use a Talbot in his life to prepare fancy meals with only one ingredient. He must have been an amazing human. No wonder Russell had loved him enough to turn him. 

But still, he had to die. "An alliance is a perfect idea. If, of course, I decide to take the crown."

"Of course," Russell said, "Till then, there is no reason we shouldn't get to know each other better." It was then that the King glanced over at Godric who was moving his blood gelato around with a spoon and staring at it as if it had all the answers.

Eric had already sensed that Russell had taken an interest in his maker and he was not sure how he felt about it. A friendship between the two could be trouble, or it could be advantageous. Regardless, Eric did not want Godric involved in this. He was going to destroy Russell's world, piece by piece, just as he had destroyed Eric’s. And he was not going to let Russell get his hands on what he loved again. 

"I would love to see the place. Maybe Talbot could give me a tour," Eric suggested, shooting the Greek vampire a smile. He did not want to leave Godric alone, but perhaps Eric could convince him to retire to bed early.

Godric finally couldn't take it anymore. "Excuse me,” he said quietly, "I need some air." He stood up and left the table.

Russell waited until he left before excusing himself. "I'll see to him," he said as if he were doing Eric a favor. "Talbot, you should give Mr. Northman a tour. Bill, perhaps you should retire for the evening," he said, essentially ordering the younger vampire back to his room.

Eric made the instinctual move to follow his maker, knowing that Godric must be infuriated by him. This was precisely why he had not wanted Godric to come. And the thought of leaving him alone with Russell was inconceivable. Yet before Eric could rush after him, he felt the strong but delicate palm of Talbot’s hand on his chest, and he turned to face the Greek beauty.

"Follow me," Talbot whispered to Eric as he led the blonde vampire to the library and shut the doors behind them.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

"Our progeny can be so trying sometimes, even now," Russell laughed to himself once he stood beside Godric and the fresh night air hit his face. The other vampire was looking out over the perfectly manicured lawn, his expression distant. "But we keep them around for a reason, I suppose.”

"They can be very trying. It is why I only created one," Godric said simply.

Russell laughed softly as if they were already old friends. "Yes, well, if you find the right one there is no need for another," he supposed. He had never had the use for another when he had Talbot by his side. His child kept him alive, quite literally. Without him, he would lose his grip on reality. He would lose all will to live on. "I noticed the tattoos on your neck. They are old, are they not?" he took a sip of his blood drink as he mused.

"Yes, they are Roman," Godric answered quickly as he watched the other vampire drink. "Do you find that you no longer need as much blood as you used to?" he asked with childlike curiosity in his eyes.

Russell smiled and took another sip. "Yes, of course. I need very little of anything anymore. But it does not stop me from wanting it," he laughed, thinking nothing of it at all. Russell had always been a bloodthirsty vampire. After all, he had been a bloodthirsty human. "I can tell you are very old, despite your youthful body. It is a shame you are not the one taking the crown. Why have you not done so already? Vampires as old and powerful as us need to set examples for this younger, fang-banger generation of materialistic club-hoppers."

"I have never had any interest in ruling and the old ways are long gone. Perhaps it is time for younger ones to have their chance to rule. Things are very different now than they once were," Godric said as he watched the King.

"Ah, but the young must remember the old! We are immortal for a reason. We transcend time, and we must remind the young ones of the true laws of nature,” Russell argued, and Godric said nothing to that. 

***

Eric gave Talbot a confident smile. He would not kill this one yet. He would earn his trust, both his and Russell's, before he did the deed. "My maker is a very interesting vampire. They have a lot in common, the King and Godric, being the two oldest vampires in the New World," he told his beautiful companion.

The heavily-accented Greek vampire laughed. "I cannot even imagine what they are talking about," he rolled his eyes. He could care less, but it was odd for Russell to show such intimate interest in anyone else but him. He would worry about that later, however. Right now he had a tall, blond, and beautiful vampire to seduce. Talbot came closer to Eric and let his fingers graze his chest. "I love this shirt." His voice was too seductive to be talking about an article of clothing.

Eric had chosen the shirt specifically because it matched the color of his eyes and showed off all his muscles. Apparently, it had been a good choice. The right one. Eric gave Talbot a knowing smile and realized that in order to keep Russell's beloved child wanting, he would have to play the tease.

"I would like to see what you have accumulated over the years." He walked towards a collection of things on display, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Russell has a huge collection," Talbot said, waving them off like they weren't important. "You know how these ancient ones are. Always trying to hold on to the past."

Eric barely heard him as his vision settled on something surprisingly familiar. He tried not to let shock show on his face as his eyes narrowed down on the shining piece of gold behind the glass walls, protected from decay and age and framed against black velvet. 

It was his father's crown, sitting there amongst Russell’s other useless, ancient trinkets collected over the years. He approached it carefully and moved the glass to pick it up in his hands. It was his, after all. It had been stolen. And this was his chance to take it back. 

To Russell, it was a centerpiece. It was nothing but a conversation starter. To Eric, it was the bloody murder of his family.

"This... This is very valuable. Viking." Talbot interrupted Eric’s thoughts with a whisper. "It is beautiful," Talbot said, not even looking at the crown as he watched Eric. Talbot was about to say something else when he was interrupted by commotion coming from the foyer. "Oh, what is it now," he said with an exasperated sigh as he opened the door. He look out to see some of Russell's men dragging Bill Compton in along with a little blond girl.

Eric followed him out into the foyer and watched as both Sookie and Bill were thrown into the middle of the room like it was a lion's den. The King had sent his men to follow Bill and bring back Sookie, Eric thought, as he put the puzzle pieces together. In a panic, he searched for his maker and silently called out to him. He did not know why, but he needed to know Godric was still here.

"Well, guess who turned out to be completely unreliable," the King spoke down to Bill.

The King had excused himself and left Godric alone on the terrace when the commotion began. At the time, Godric wasn't paying attention to what was going on around him and was instead enjoying the night air until he felt his child’s call ring through his body. He frowned, not knowing what was wrong, and sent back waves of love and comfort through the vast ocean of their bond. When Godric sent the reassurance his way, Eric experienced a whole body shiver and it calmed him like a tranquilizer.

By the time Godric rushed into the foyer. Bill had already been taken to the stables and Russell had gone upstairs to calm Talbot. He stepped into the room just in time to see Sookie and the same vampire that had threatened her at his nest in Dallas. 

"And this time that sanctimonious little prick Godric isn't here to save..." Lorena was saying before Godric was suddenly behind her, his hand wrapped around her neck, stopping her mid-sentence.

"You were saying?" he asked mildly even though he was enjoying the look of fear and surprise in her eyes. "Eric, what is going on?" he asked his child, not letting go of his hold on Lorena. He gave her neck a squeeze when she started looking like she might try to fight back.

Eric watched when his maker grabbed Lorena as if she were little more than an annoying, buzzing bug. It turned him on and his fangs withdrew instinctually. It was a moment before he spoke. "Bill betrayed the King and brought this one right into the trap," he gestured towards the blonde human with his hand while his eyes never left his maker's. "I suspect he will have Bill killed and Sookie interrogated."

"Well, I am sure it was just a big misunderstanding," Godric said, his voice completely calm as he raised an eyebrow to his child's visible fangs. Talbot could bat his pretty eyes all he wanted, but all Godric had to do was take charge and it got Eric hot. 

"Godric, you have to save Bill!" Sookie pleaded desperately as Godric tightened his hold on Lorena and easily brought her down to her knees where she belonged.

"I will speak with the King and get this sorted out," he assured Sookie. "Eric, why don't you take Miss Stackhouse somewhere more comfortable?" he suggested, and Lorena squeaked at the thought of being left alone with Godric.

Eric snapped out of his state of awe and growled predatorily at Sookie. "Godric is not involved with this!" he shouted to her, and did not move. If Godric let Sookie go, his plans for revenge would be threatened. He wanted to give Sookie to the King as an offering, symbolic of their 'trust' and 'allegiance' with one another.

"Eric, calm down and do as I say." Godric hated to chastise Eric in front of others, but now was not the time for whatever Eric was up to. "Now, Eric," he commanded calmly.

Eric glared at his maker. It was not quite the command only a maker could make, but it was damn close, and Eric's body physically hurt from its defiance. "I'd prefer it if you stayed out of this," he barked at him. He did not want Godric to piss off the King. They were on icy ground, and Eric may be content to risk his own life, but not Godric's.

Godric looked at Eric sharply and second-guessed himself for a moment. He let go of Lorena, who fell to the floor before running out the door as quickly as a vampire could.

"What do you propose I do, Eric? Sookie has already been kidnapped and brought here against her will. Are you going to let Russell interrogate her?" Godric asked, because he knew what kind of interrogation that would be.

Eric could not care less what happened to Sookie. He was willing to use her to get what he wanted. "You could go home," he told his maker, "This doesn't involve you."

Godric had never been so disappointed in Eric in their entire existence together and he was pretty sure it showed; it would be hard to hide an emotion he wasn't used to feeling. "As your Maker, I command you to take Sookie into the other room and keep her safe," he said sternly.

Eric opened his mouth to say something but he was speechless. He was lucky enough to have a maker who did not abuse the power of the command, but when he did use it, it pierced Eric's heart. He felt himself taking Sookie by the arm and taking her upstairs to one of the bedrooms as if his body was possessed. He sent waves of remorse and worry and anxiety Godric's way. It was the only thing he could do.

Eric roughly threw her into the room and snarled hatefully at her.

"You would have just let them have me!" Sookie yelled at him as if she couldn’t believe it. "If Godric hadn't done something, you would have just stood back and done nothing!"

***

The walk up to the King's bedroom seemed to take up all the energy Godric had left for tonight. There were two guards at the door and the loud sounds of rough sex could be heard from within, but neither guard stopped Godric from knocking on the door.

Eric flashed his fangs at Sookie, making his best attempt to intimidate. "You think I care for you?! You have done nothing but complicate things! You are selfish and arrogant and you think everyone wants you!" he shouted before he backed away and paced like an animal in a cage. He would leave if it had not been commanded that he stay and keep her safe.

Sookie did the smart thing for once and decided to keep her mouth shut. Eric might not be able to hurt her now, but Sookie wasn't sure how long Godric's command would hold.

Half an hour later, the King of Mississippi came strutting back through the door with Godric right behind him. "Miss Stackhouse, Godric here has convinced me to let you are your lover return to Bon Temps," he said, smirking at Eric as he did up his belt buckle. Sookie wondered exactly what Godric had to do to convince him. "You and Bill are free to go." 

Eric watched Russell buckle his belt and do the unthinkable: let Sookie and Bill go. His crazed mind immediately assumed the worst. What could have possibly convinced the hard-headed King of Mississippi to let go America's Most Wanted Vampire Food?

Sookie flung her arms around Godric's neck, clearly not stopping to ask questions. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear before kissing his cheek and running out the door to find Bill.

"Well, now that that is taken care of, you gentlemen may have this bedroom for the night. Unless, of course, you require separate rooms," Russell asked with a raised brow.

"No, this is more than enough, thank you, Your Majesty.” Eric had to grit his teeth in an attempt to hold back his anger and keep a smile on his face. As soon as the King left, however, Eric turned to his maker. "What did you do?!" he demanded.

Godric looked back at Eric, surprised. "I talked Russell into letting Sookie and Bill go. Do not take that tone with me, Eric," he said, offended.

Eric dropped his gaze to the floor, suddenly unable to look his maker in the eyes. Godric had a way of making him feel ashamed with just one glance. "One does not just 'talk' to Russell and make him change his mind about something like this. What favors did you have to do?”

"There were no favors. I merely talked to Russell. He is a reasonable man and saw that keeping Sookie here would just cause more trouble than it was worth," Godric said calmly when he realized what Eric was implying. "Do you really think Russell would just change his mind because of a sexual favor? He is a powerful King. He has vampires throwing themselves at him left and right and you think he would let Sookie go because I offered to lie with him?" Godric tisked. Sometimes his child's jealousy overruled all thought processes. "Eric, I think you overestimate my attractiveness to others. Not many people see me the way you do."

"You are just blind. Plenty of men and women, human and vampire, look at you exactly the way I do. You are just too ignorant to notice," Eric told him.

Godric had had enough of this pointless conversation. He took off his shirt and pants but left on a pair of boxer briefs. Perhaps separate rooms would have been better. "Ignorant? I think you forget who you are speaking to at times. I am not one of your followers," he said, trying to reign in his anger.

Eric's fangs were still sharp with anger. "I don't pretend you are. You remind me often enough," he growled, even though he knew he should not be so short with the being who gave him life, love, and eternity. Without him, Eric would be nothing, but he was too angry to remind himself.

"It is getting early and I am not going to fight with you right now, even if you do seem to be looking for one," Godric sighed as he climbed into the massive bed and slid under the covers. He lay down and rolled over so his back was to his child. "We will talk tomorrow night," he added with obvious dismissal.

Eric was restless and too full of adrenaline to want to stop fighting and go to bed. He hated how distant his maker could make himself. "Why have you taken such an interest in this place?" he demanded in an accusing tone.

Godric groaned and put a pillow over his head, looking like a teenager who didn't want to hear his mother yelling at him. "I have no interest in this place," he said, his voice muffled by the pillow, "but you obviously do."

Eric paced the room restlessly and bit his nails. It was a human habit that over a thousand years he had never grown out of. He managed to hide this nervous reflex well, especially because Pam chastised him often for it, especially after she went through the trouble of filing them for him. "What is that supposed to mean?" Eric growled.

Godric finally gave up trying to be calm and threw the pillow right at Eric's pacing form, smacking him perfectly in the head with it. "It means, can you not wait until I am out of the room before you begin whoring yourself out to Russell's consort?!"

Eric jumped. "I am not whoring myself!" he shouted back in his own defense. “Nor have I since you returned to me!”

That stopped Godric. "You didn't sleep with the stripper?" he asked, because he had always assumed Eric had.

Eric opened his mouth to speak, but at first, nothing came of it. He dropped his gaze to the floor in shame. "I meant...since you returned to me a few days ago."

Godric should have known, really. He knew he shouldn't have asked. It was better not knowing. "Of course, Eric, I just misunderstood," he said, his voice void of emotion, before he lay back down and closed his eyes.

Eric felt himself dissolve into a puddle of self-loathing. He crawled onto the bed and bowed his head as if in worship, his forehead resting on Godric's tattooed, bare torso. "Sometimes I wish I could be even half the progeny you deserve," he whispered.

Godric sighed, knowing he could not let the argument end like this. "I deserve whatever you can give me, nothing more, nothing less. You're a good soul, Eric. Any faults you have are because of me." Godric sighed, letting his fingers brush through Eric's hair. "Let's not talk anymore tonight."

Eric was instantly soothed when he felt Godric's hands threading through his short blonde hair. "No...no, you are a generous, loving maker and I take advantage..." he disagreed, not wanting Godric to think he had been anything but a perfect maker to him. 

”Shhhh," Godric silenced him. "I don't wish to hear anymore, beloved," he hushed sternly.

Eric recognized that tone of Godric's voice. It meant that Eric was treading on dangerous ground. It meant he should shut up before he got himself in more trouble. But he had just one more thing to say. "Can I just tell you I love you?" he whispered. He slithered up Godric’s body until they were face to face.

Godric opened his eyes too look at Eric. "You don't have to tell me, I already know," he said, tracing Eric's features with his fingertips. His child always knew the right things to say to calm him down, which of course meant that Eric knew exactly how to piss him off, too.

Eric melted in his maker's arms and his lips grazed against his in a request for a kiss. After today, he was not sure if Godric would even give him that.

Godric kissed Eric lightly on the lips just to reassure his lover before pulling away. "Now, I need my sleep; I am very old, after all," he teased.

Eric knew that no matter how 'old' Godric got, he would always have the body of a fifteen-year-old boy, with all of its youth and hormones. For once, however, he fell silent, and allowed Godric to pull away and close his eyes. But once he had, Eric dipped his head to lay kisses up and down Godric’s chest, using his tongue over on nipple. Godric huffed but didn't bother to open his eyes or chastise Eric. Instead, he rolled over on his stomach in hopes that the action would convince his child to go to sleep.

Eric loved Godric's back just as much as he loved his front, and he did not stop when his maker turned away from him. His lips kissed down the large tattoo up Godric’s back before they moved down to kiss the round curve of his backside.

Godric bit his lip and tried not to wiggle under Eric's ministrations, which only encouraged his child. Eric grinned and continued to kiss the small of his lover's back before his hands nudged the waistband of his boxers down to reveal just the crack of his ass. Eric kissed the top of it. It was the perfect spot to leave a mark.

"Eric," Godric groaned, trying to sound stern, but it came out as a breathy moan. "I am tired."

Eric raised his head, not bothering to cover Godric's ass back up as he flopped down on the bed next to him and pouted heavily. He knew that he was having an effect on Godric and he knew he was not as tired as he said he was.

Godric held back any curses he wanted to say when Eric's lips left his back. "You’re too old to be pouting," the older vampire said, not opening his eyes but knowing the expression on Eric's face all the same. He knew sex made Eric feel better after a fight, but right now, all Godric could think about was the stripper and Talbot.

Eric continued to pout. "You are still upset with me because you think I will sleep with anything with legs.”

Godric sighed and turned on his side to face Eric. He wrapped his arm around Eric's waist and pulled him closer. "I'm not upset... Or, at least, I'm trying not to be. I have no right to tell you not to be with another. I love you, my stubborn only child, and that is all that matters."

Eric felt a wave of reassurance wash over him and he embraced his maker closely. He buried his face in Godric’s chest and breathed in his familiar scent. "And you are my living god. There is no one but you.”

Godric kissed the top of Eric's head. "Sleep," Godric told him gently.

As if it were a command, Eric felt the pull of slumber instantly, and he could no longer fight it. He dozed off, still buried against his maker's chest.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

The next night, Godric woke before Eric and slipped out from underneath his child to make his way to the adjoining bathroom. It housed a huge tub fit for a king and it reminded Godric so much of the Roman baths of his youth. He turned on the water and waited for the tub to fill as he slipped off his tight black boxer briefs and gracefully eased into the hot water. He sighed as his tense muscles relaxed in the healing heat.

Eric woke soon after Godric had left him. At first he panicked as he felt the emptiness beside him where the bed was still warm, but like a tidal wave of comfort, he sensed his maker was near and safe and he relaxed. He stood and walked drowsily to the bathroom, pushed the door open, and smirked. He leaned against the doorframe and admired the pleasant view.

Godric had his eyes closed when Eric came in but he smiled, knowing his child was watching him. "See something you like?" he whispered.

Eric grinned. "I see a little water nymph," he teased, knowing that would earn himself a look.

Godric huffed in exasperation. "Nymphs are not this short... Come bathe with me," he invited as he finally opened his eyes. The tub was big enough for two, even with someone of Eric's size.

"The baby ones are," Eric grinned playfully as he continued to tease and walked towards the tub, stripping himself of his own shorts and slid into the hot water.

"You think you are so clever." The older vampire smiled.

Eric slid his way over to Godric until he was facing him and gave him an arrogant smirk. "That's because I am, baby water nymph."

Godric chuckled and leaned forward to nip at Eric's lip. "You should show me just how clever you are," he said, letting his hands trail down Eric's chest.

Eric captured Godric's mouth in a demanding kiss when his maker's lips only teased. "Mmm, I know better than to give into your nymph temptation," he smirked, but his body came closer until it pressed against Godric’s and his hips eased in between Godric’s legs.

Godric pulled his knees up so they rested on either side of Eric's hips and the room was filled with the soft sounds of disturbed water and wet kisses that were rapidly becoming more urgent. "So you admit I'm a temptation." The older vampire smiled as he kissed along Eric's jawline and down to his neck. He sucked on Eric's pulse point and his fangs sharpened with an audible snap. He bit down far too softly to break skin.

Eric cried out and reached a point of pleasure that few ever attained in their whole lives. An idea had come to him in a dream the night before. He had realized that if he were renewed with Godric's blood, he would be even stronger than he was before. He could be a better match against any one of Russell's guards, Talbot, even Russell himself…

"Bite me," Eric demanded, "I want you to drain me and then feed me with yourself until I'm reborn again."

Godric wasn't sure where this was coming from and he gave Eric a confused look, his fangs still pointed. "You may feed from me if you wish; I do not have to drain you for you to do it, Child."

Eric shook his head before pressing his forehead to his lover's. "But I want you to. I want only you in my body," he whispered, "I want to remember what it was like. I want to become yours all over again."

As if he could ever forget. As if there were ever a moment in his life when he did not belong to Godric.

Godric closed his eyes. "What aren't you telling me?" he pleaded with Eric in a hushed voice.

Eric looked up sharply at his maker. "I have to have an ulterior motive for everything I do?" he accused. Sure, he did want Godric to do this so he could be even stronger than he was now, but he also knew that this was something that would connect them to each other all over again as nothing else would. He wanted to feel himself reborn to Godric because he was beginning to believe that he himself would also have to die in order to end Russell.

"You're smart Eric, sometimes too smart for your own good," Godric spoke gently against his lips, "You usually do have a motive for everything you do."

Eric could not argue with that. "I just want to be as close to you as I possibly can," he tried to explain. He found that he could no longer lie to Godric, and that much was the truth. He was clinging to Godric now, pleading with his heart and soul and body and eyes.

"All right… all right,” Godric soothed the wild animal inside of Eric. “Hush now.” He gently pushed Eric back and stradded his lap, knowing this position would be easier. He kissed down Eric's jaw again, but this time, when he got to his neck, he bit down and moaned at the taste of his child.

Eric could not believe this was about to happen and his entire body trembled with anticipation. This was the ultimate display of love and trust between two of their kind. It was what united vampire and maker on a level that only they could achieve. If Eric died, he would at least have experienced being reborn as Godric's one more time.

Eric surrendered automatically and he opened his mouth to moan when he felt the pierce of fangs over the exact place Godric had first bitten him a thousand years ago. He smirked while he still had the energy to do so and he remembered how he had fought Godric half-heartedly in the beginning, while lying on that funeral pyre. Playfully, he pushed against his maker now, who was an unmovable force.

Godric groaned when Eric tried to shove him away. The predator/prey instinct surfaced and he reached out to hold his child still as he began to grow harder. He drank Eric down fast, not restraining himself as he usually did, and when Eric grew limp, he drank down a few more deep gulps before stopping.

He let Eric's head fall back gently against the back of the tub. Godric was drunk off the blood. It had been centuries since he had taken that much, and a thousand years since he had drained Eric. A few drops fell from his lips into the water and it swirled to color the pool red. "I could just leave you like this...weak and defenseless in this King's home," Godric nuzzled Eric’s cheek with his own blood stained lips. He was a feral, pagan boy of the forest again, his eyes wild and untamed.

Eric knew that he would do no such thing. There were times when Godric loved to play God, because he knew he was the closest thing to religion that Eric could ever get again. While limp and faint and high from loss of blood, nearly dead, Eric abandoned himself to the feeling of being completely drained and vulnerable. He could almost feel a heartbeat in his chest, slowing and slowing. He almost felt human. A tear ran down his cheek when he was overwhelmed by the beauty of it. His half-lidded eyes gazed reverently up at his maker. His nostrils flared as he breathed in the scent of himself. He was starved and empty, and Godric held his life in his body, literally.

The demon child licked the tear away. "The first time I did this, you fed from my wrist," he whispered huskily into Eric's ear. "We will do that again, and this time I will fuck you," he added, biting into his wrist until a wound formed.

The Viking could not speak, but he did not need to. Godric had all the control and he had given every drop of it willingly. At the thought of Godric bringing him back into this world while fucking him… Eric’s fangs and cock ached even as the rest of his body was utterly immobile. Godric was going to take him from the brink of death and give him new life as his child and they would never doubt one another again.

"So beautiful." Godric kissed him before he ran his tongue up his own arm, tasting his blood before placing his bleeding wrist to Eric's thirsty mouth. "Drink," he ordered.

Eric felt himself drifting and dissolving until his mind almost went black. As soon as the first drop of Godric's blood entered his body, however, he latched onto his maker's wrist with the last bit of strength he had and suckled him hungrily. Eric made deep, pleasurable noises with each gulp like a starved animal.

Godric kissed and sucked on Eric's neck while his child fed and only pulled away when he began to feel light-headed. "That's enough for now, love."

Eric swooned as he fed from his maker until he was full and practically bursting. He growled and his fangs extended again as Godric pulled away and denied him further. He wanted more, he was not yet himself.

"Eric," Godric chastised in a whisper as he rested his forehead against Eric's. A thousand years, and Eric still did not know how much was enough. His child demanded the world, but it was something Godric loved and cherished about him. He crushed his lips to his child’s and attempted to lick the blood out of his mouth. Eric’s erection was demanding against his thigh.

Godric continued to kiss Eric lazily and began to rock his hips slowly into Eric’s, grinding their erections together and making the water splash gently against the side of the tub. He pulled away to whisper against Eric’s lips, "Fader, broder, søn." 

“Elsker.” Eric added the olden word for 'lover', and another bloody tear ran gracefully down his face. Godric had just taken them back a thousand years and he was again an infant vampire, full of hunger and lust and love in Godric's arms. "I can feel you inside me, giving me new life..." he breathed in their ancient language.

Godric worried that this moment might be too intense for Eric, so he ceased his rocking and just rested his head on Eric's shoulder. "I've always been inside of you, you silly boy."

"Always," Eric agreed, and rocked his hips against Godric's in frustration, not understanding why his maker had stopped. "And now I need to be inside of you..." Eric practically pleaded. Their union was not yet consummated. "Would you have let me do this to you? Drain you to the point of death and then fill you back up with me?" He was curious.

Godric tensed at the thought of someone having that sort of power over him. "Yes," he answered after considering it. "If you asked it of me, I would." He reached between them to stroke Eric's cock.

Eric beamed. Whether he would ever actually do such a thing did not matter. The fact that Godric would let him that meant everything to him. Eric let his body melt under Godric's touch, as his maker stroked him, and all the tension seemed to concentrate right in his cock.

"Are you ready to be inside me now?" the boy whispered against Eric’s lips.

"Please, Gods, yes..." he rambled as he bucked his hips against Godric's.

Godric sat up and laid a kiss to Eric's forehead before he lined up Eric’s thick cock with his entrance. He slowly lowered himself down on Eric and felt himself tear, but did not stop until he was fully seated. He sighed and leaned forward to capture Eric's lips as he adjusted to the fullness.

Eric allowed his maker all of the control as they made love, as if for the first time and as if for the last time, in the ancient-style bath that had turned a deep red from their blood-sharing and rough coupling.

***

They were both getting dressed when a servant knocked at the door to inform them that the King requested their presence at dinner. Godric groaned when the servant was gone. "I don't think I can sit through another one of those dinners and pretend to drink," he told Eric.

That made Eric worry, but he knew the less amount of time Godric spent with his enemy, the better. "You don't have to. I'll tell them you are resting, as you should be, anyway."

It was clear that Godric did not like the fact that Eric would be roaming the house without him and getting into trouble. “You will be all right?” he asked tentatively.

Eric would be more than all right, knowing that Godric was safe while he got closer and closer to his revenge. "Of course I will," he assured his maker as he finished dressing and walked to the door.

"Eric," Godric stopped him with a word, "May I get a kiss before you leave?" He was starting to get suspicious of Eric's behavior again.

Eric shut the door and turned to walk back into the room. He sank back down with his maker and pressed him to the bed in a deep kiss. "I didn't take too much did I?" he asked worriedly.

"I am fine, only a little tired," Godric answered as he tucked Eric's hair behind his ear. "Please, be careful and behave, and mind your manners," he ordered.

Eric was still worried. "Show me that you're still strong," he proposed.

Godric laughed. "Eric, I just rode you for over an hour. If that does not prove it, I do not know what else would." He kissed the tip of Eric's nose playfully.

Eric grinned and gave Godric's neck a little love nip. "I will be back," he reassured his maker, before standing and walking out the door. He felt a more confident now with Godric's blood overwhelming his body and making him stronger.

Eric felt like he could conquer anything, especially the King of Mississippi.

***

"Good evening, gentlemen," Eric beamed and said as he walked into the dining room to greet both his hosts, his skin radiant from his earlier feeding. "Please forgive my maker; he was a bit too tired to join us."

Talbot raised an eyebrow when he saw that Eric was practically glowing. Russell never allowed him to take as much as Eric had obviously had, but he would die before he admitted he was jealous. "I'll bet he was," Talbot snorted. It was clear that the Viking had already eaten.

"Talbot, manners," Russell chastised him lightly. He had just come out of his office before Eric arrived. He had been re-watching the tapes from his hidden cameras sequestered in the guest bedroom. He had been hoping to find something to use against Eric, but instead the tattoos on Godric's back had caught his attention. They brought back a long forgotten memory of a little Pict boy with fairy blood who had the same tattoo and big gray eyes.

Eric gave Talbot a secret look as he sat down gracefully. It was a look that told him not to worry, that it would be his turn soon.

"I have a proposition for you, Eric Northman," Russell said as he shifted a pile of papers towards him. They were quite clearly a marriage contract and Talbot looked over at his maker in surprise and hurt at the new turn of events.

"This is, of course, if you decide to be king. Our Alliance would be an unstoppable one," Russell continued ignoring the looks he was getting from his lover.

Well, Eric was certainly not expecting this. But he should have, he realized suddenly. He should not have underestimated the King's lust for power and he should have known he’d had a secret plan of his own for inviting him here. He was unprepared for it. He stared down at the papers. "You are proposing marriage to me? I'm flattered," he smiled and did his best to sound honest. It was hard when all he wanted to do in that moment, all he could think about, was ripping out Russell's spine and feeding it to his loyal wolves. "But I am quite used to my life as a bachelor," he tried to sound humble and perhaps a little hard-to-get.

"Of course, that's why I had the contract written up. We would only have to consummate the marriage directly following the wedding and then afterwards, only once a year. We would still live in our respective states and keep our lovers," he explained, reaching over to take Talbot's hand, but it jerked away.

Eric's jaw clenched with the effort to hold himself contained. At the mention of 'consummating', his stomach churned. He almost laughed, wondering how his maker would react to the news of marriage. Gods, he was in for it. He felt like he was caged. There could be no rejecting Russell. The only thought that could get Eric to agreeing to the proposal was the thought of Russell's violent end before they had even said their vows.

"I would be honored," Eric's face was emotionless.

"Excellent. I'll give you time to go over the contract," Russell said, taking a sip of his blood. "Perhaps I should have someone send a human up to your maker. He must be hungry," he added, as if he had not been watching Godric as closely as he just had.

Eric stared down at the papers. "I'm afraid that would be a waste of time; my maker does not need blood to live any longer," he told the King.

"Really? That is very interesting. Perhaps he just hasn't found anything to his tastes recently. Talbot, send one of your boys up to Godric," Russell ordered, and Talbot rolled his eyes. But he stood up to go do as he was told.

"You still have a healthy appetite, I notice," Eric mused, and stood to reach out and grab Talbot's hand. He did not want any boys near Godric. "He will reject any offer, Talbot, and I'm afraid he needs rest more than anything else," he smiled.

Russell laughed. "Our lust for blood is not something vampires grow out of. I've met vampires older than me and they still have healthy appetites. Tell me, what part of the world does your Maker originate from?"

Eric kept his face a mask of calm politeness, as if this were a mere conversation about the weather. Yet the truth was he did not like this sudden interest Russell had developed for his maker. It was not merely because they were close in age. No, Russell had a different, darker incentive. "Rome," Eric answered him simply.

"Really. I did notice the slave tattoos on his neck, but his accent isn't Roman," Russell pointed out as Talbot took a seat again.

Eric continued to smile. He did not like where this was going. "And your accent is Southern, but I would highly doubt you've spent your whole life in Mississippi," he gave the short, simple answer.

"True, very true," Russell laughed.

Eric hated the thought of killing Russell before he found out why he had such a strong interest in his maker. "If I may ask, your highness, why the sudden fascination with my maker? Is it merely curiosity?"

Russell leaned forward so that his elbows were resting on the table as he leaned towards Eric. "He reminds me of a boy a met a long time ago. I was in northern Scotland and was hearing rumors of a fairy witch who had married the chief of one of the Pict tribes. I investigated, but she must have known I was coming because she wasn't there when I arrived. But her child was. He must have been around eight or nine at the time and he smelled delicious, as half-bloods do. But I let him go to hunt the mother instead. She led me around in circles and I never found her."

Eric raised an eyebrow. "A fairy witch? How interesting. That would certainly be something to remember," he humored the King. "Godric has not told me about such a boy or such a woman. I fail to see the correlation between this story and my maker."

Russell grinned. "Yes, well, as you can imagine I was very interested. Especially now since they are extinct and half-breeds are even rarer than they were," the King said as he leaned back in his chair. Something outside caught his interest. He tried not to be obvious about it when he announced, "If you’ll excuse me boys, I think I may retire."

Eric found it strange that Russell seemed so suddenly distracted, but he was so desperate to get away from the King that he did not question it. Talbot, however, was not willing to ignore it. He had been bottling up so much anger that he was finally on the edge of an explosion. He stood up straight from his chair and stopped his lover and maker.

"Russell! This is obscene! We did not talk about this! What am I, just an accessory to you now? Do you forget I am even here?!" he accused Russell with a stomp of his foot and his accent thickened. Eric watched in amusement.

"My love... Who is the King here?" Russell responded calmly, raising an elegant eyebrow. "This decision was a political one and had nothing to do with our relationship. Now, you will excuse me," he said, indicating that the conversation was over.

Talbot was not finished. He would not be pushed around and he would not be shoved into a corner. "That's just it, Russell! It has absolutely nothing to do with our relationship! Nothing does anymore! I don't know what has gotten into you, you cold-hearted, idiot bastard!" he shouted.

Russell growled low in his throat. "This is not the time to discuss this!" he snapped before he realized Eric was still in the room and he turned to his guest with a smile. "He's in one of his moods," he told Eric, as his lover practically simmered in anger.

Talbot threw his hands into the air and stomped away up the stairs, spitting an angry slew of Greek the entire way. Eric pretended to be amused and shared the smiled with Russell. "I understand,” the Viking said. “With your permission, however, perhaps I could entertain him to calm his mind."

Now was his chance. The papers were not signed, and could never be.

"Be my guest," Russell allowed with a wave of his hand, as he gave his blessing and walked outside, intent on following the glimpse of Godric he had seen earlier.

Eric was left alone in the dining room. The glare he delivered to Russell's back as he walked away was so hateful that for a moment he thought the older vampire would feel his eyes like daggers. Fate had brought him his one and only chance and Eric was not going to let this one pass. He had waited a thousand years for this moment.

Eric slowly walked up the stairs, taking his time. He knew Talbot would be in the study, his favorite room of the house. Eric knocked gently.

Talbot was busy breaking as many pieces of Russell's collection when Eric opened the door. "He never listens to me, he never takes me anywhere. I'm just his kept boy!"

"He doesn’t appreciate you," Eric agreed as he closed the door behind him and entered the room as slowly and seductively as possible. Talbot looked so beautiful when he was outraged like this, so beautiful that Eric thought – just for a moment – that it would be a shame to waste him.

Talbot watched Eric and his whole demeanor changed. "No, he doesn't," he pouted, putting down the crown he was about to hoist at the wall.

Eric's slowly walked up to the enraged Greek, just close enough to get him more excited, but not close enough. "It's a shame, really. Someone like you should not be pushed into the corner," he smiled.

Talbot looked at Eric through darkened, lustful eyes. "Where should someone like me be, then?" he asked, reaching out to run his hand up Eric's broad chest.

When Eric grinned, his fangs peeked out from behind his lips. He would have no trouble faking arousal with this vampire. In fact, he might very much enjoy the sex just as much as he would enjoy the moment he killed the Royal Consort.

"Naked, with a tall, handsome Viking," he purred, and took another step forward.

"Hmm... I think I can do that," Talbot smirked as he pulled Eric in for a kiss.

Eric moaned into the kiss and felt the vibrations up Talbot's spine where his hands explored him. He moved his lips down to Talbot’s neck. "Take off your clothes," he demanded huskily into his ear as he himself stripped off his shirt, and it wasn't long before they were both naked and hungrily kissing one another on the floor of the study.

Eric continued to suck on Talbot's neck, his fangs only pricking him teasingly, earning himself one drop of blood at a time and driving the Greek vampire crazy. "Turn around," Eric’s voice was deep and thick with lust as he ordered him onto his hands and knees.

"Yes, Daddy," Talbot answered obediently as he turned around underneath Eric.

Eric waited until Talbot was pressing his naked ass against his erection. He gave a low moan of approval and kissed down his neck and back, the stake now steady in Eric’s hand.

"Russell took my family. And now I take his."

Godric burst into the room at that very moment, startling both vampires. He was so angry that at first all he could see was the shock of nudity. It took him a second to realize that Eric had a stake in his hand.

"Eric, no!"

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

"Eric, no!" Godric screamed the command. Immediately, he was at Eric's side and jerking the stake out of his child’s hand. Eric looked up at him in surprise.

"What is going on?!” Talbot screeched.

No, this cannot be happening, Eric thought as his mind jumped to a Plan B he didn’t even know he had. With a growl, he stood and grabbed a nearby chair, smacked Talbot with it, and rendered him unconscious. The antique shattered to pieces.

"You must go!" Eric shouted at his maker and flashed his fangs as if that could convince him of anything.

"Have you lost your mind!?" Godric hissed; his own fangs sharpening in anger, "You cannot kill him! I forbid it!"

Eric quickly shuffled on his clothes, still flashing his fangs in defiance against Godric's. "You don't understand. He has to die," he growled as he stood tall and towered over the shorter vampire. Maybe he really had lost his mind. But it was too late to turn back now.

"As your maker I command you not to kill him," Godric demanded. He grabbed Eric's shirt and pulled him closer to him and his child had no option but to obey. "You have truly lost your mind if you think Russell will allow you to kill his progeny and get away with it. I cannot protect you from him!"

No, Eric did not expect Russell to take the damages to his lover and only child lightly. That was why he had another plan. One that did not involve any more killing. Getting even was all Eric wanted, and as blood-thirsty as he might have appeared at this moment, Eric did not want to shed any more than was due him.

"There is a bigger picture here, Godric! And I am no longer an infant vampire crawling at your feet! I have my own decisions to make!" he hissed.

"Yes, I see how good your decision-making skills have become!" Godric shouted, "And when were you planning on telling me of your upcoming nuptials?!"

Eric's body was practically shaking with anger, but he could do nothing while Godric's command restrained him. "You are my maker, my soul and my mate, and I love you above all others, and I will always follow you," his voice was somehow gentle now. "But you have to let me do this."

Godric looked at him for a moment before saying, "I cannot allow you to do something that will eventually cause you harm. You cannot ask that of me."

"It's my life, I can risk it however I please," Eric shot back at him. He was finding it difficult to tell his maker that this was something worth dying for. It was his father's dying wish and what he had been destined to do. "It is my duty to do this."

Just then, Talbot groaned, and Eric focus was drawn sharply down to his bloody body.

"You would not understand," the Viking growled. Before his maker could say any more, he grabbed Talbot, swung him over his shoulder and flew, as Godric didn't believe Eric had the nerve to do such a thing. 

Godric didn't know what was happening, but he knew he needed to get out of Mississippi before Russell found out Talbot was missing.

He cursed Eric's name as he rushed out the door, grabbing Eric's car keys that he had left behind.

***

By the time Godric pulled Eric's Corvette into Fangtasia's parking lot, the building looked like it was about to fall apart. Godric came storming into the club and saw Pam first. She seemed to heave a sigh of relief when she saw him. "Where is he?" Godric demanded in a tone that made it clear he was not in the mood to be lied too.

Not many things could startle a vampire like Pam, but right now, she was almost shaking. Her cheeks were flushed with anger and her eyes were glossy as if she were trying to hold back waves of emotion. She opened her mouth to speak but stuttered clumsily, "He is writing his will." She hated the sound of that on her own tongue. "Maybe you can talk some sense into him. He is leaving everything to you and me, but I told him I do not care for such things..." she rambled.

"I'm going to kill him before the King even gets a chance," Godric snarled as he stalked past her and into Eric's office. He slammed the door behind him. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" Godric screamed. Even in his more savage days, he never shouted that loudly at anyone. He would very rarely raise his voice. But now, Eric had him in the dark and his child’s life was in danger.

And driving that car was much harder than it looked. Godric had been pulled over numerous times and had to glamour the police to get out of it.

Eric himself did not jump, but his lawyer nearly had a heart attack as he fell off his chair. Instead, Eric was immensely relieved to see with his own eyes that his maker was in one piece. During the time spent apart from each other, though Eric could feel that his maker was safe, he worried anyway. He even hoped that Godric would stay mad at him long enough to stay away from him and to stay out of the web of trouble that he had spun for himself.

"Just some paperwork," Eric answered simply, and Pam, who had followed Godric into the room, rolled her eyes.

Godric stormed up to Eric and jerked the pen out of his hand so that he held his full attention. "Why are you doing this?! Why are you in such a hurry to leave me, to leave your young progeny? What do you think I will do if I lose you?!"

The lawyer looked boldly up at Godric. He made a move to excuse himself, thinking that perhaps the two vampires needed to talk alone, but with one hand raised, Eric stopped him. "I'm in no hurry to leave. I am just securing my assets and making sure my child will not be alone," he told his maker, not looking him in the eyes.

Godric glared right into Eric’s eyes nonetheless. "Really? Because it sounds like you are throwing yourself away, throwing away the gift I gave you... and for what?" he asked again, because he still didn’t know Eric’s motives. What did Eric believe was worth dying for?

Eric clenched his jaw. "I am not throwing myself anywhere. I did what had to be done," he growled. Godric was making this seem like the opposite of what it really was. What he was doing was righteous, not corrupt.

"Explain it to me then. Why are you doing this?" Godric forced himself to speak more softly now.

Eric took the papers out of the lawyer's hands and signed them off quickly. "It is my life to do as I please. You must trust in me."

"Fine," Godric growled. Eric wanted his maker to trust him, but he hadn't given him any reason to. "If you insist on doing this insane thing, then don't expect me to be here when you get back. And if you die, I will meet the sun at the first given opportunity,” he threatened. He was tired of being left in the dark.

Maybe this was how Eric felt when I kept my past so secret, he thought silently to himself.

Eric knew Godric would use that threat against him. He could say that he would not allow it, but really, what could he do if he were dead? "There are things you refuse to tell me, too. You have secrets, why can't I?"

"My secrets won't cause me harm nor will it cause harm to those I love," Godric answered. He reached out to take Eric's hand. "Let me help you with this."

Eric snatched back his hand. "You have already helped enough," he told him.

That was when Pam stepped out of the shadows and placed herself right in front of both her maker and her maker's maker. "You begged Godric to step off that roof, Eric. You begged him. Imagine how you would have felt if he had commanded you away. Imagine how you would have felt if he had succeeded!" she growled at him. Eric saw her lip tremble and her eyes gloss over with red and it broke his cold, lifeless heart. Unable to take anymore, Pam stomped off in her heels.

"I love her best when she is a cold-hearted bitch," Eric mumbled.

The lawyer coughed nervously. "You need a witness to sign, and it cannot be one of the persons mentioned in the will," he interrupted nervously.

"Yvetta!" Eric shouted. As if on cue, in came one of his strippers, angry as hell.

"What is this bullshit?! You promised me everything!" she shouted in her heavy exotic accent. Eric remained stoic to her outburst.

"I promised you great sex, not my wealth. Now sign the damn papers," he ordered, and grabbed her hand, forcing her to do it. Godric glared viciously at the girl, and if looks could kill, she would be a pile of ash by now. Although his jealousy was all-consuming, he had to remind himself there were more important things to worry about.

"You cold bastard!" she screamed before she snapped back her hand and stormed out.

Godric watched her go. "If you won't allow me to help you then there is nothing I can do," he finally said before he abruptly turned to leave.

Eric panicked and grabbed Godric's arm to stop him. The lawyer interrupted. "I... I believe everything is well in order now," he stuttered, and gathered the stack of papers into his hands.

Eric waved his hand dismissively. "Yes, you may go, thank you," he answered. The man wasted no time in leaving.

Still not letting go of Godric’s arm, Eric stared straight ahead at nothing at all. "More than a thousand years ago, before you turned me, Russell sent his wolves to the Vikings to collect their treasures. He killed my family. My mother, my father, my baby sister," he explained somberly.

It was a few moments before Godric spoke. "So this is vengeance for humans that have been in the ground for over a thousand years? You thought you would kill Talbot and Russell and you would be even? Eric, Talbot is Russell's child with whom he has spent over seven hundred years. You only spent twenty years with your human family. Did you really think you would be even after that? As it is, Russell will kill you for coming into his home and kidnapping his lover."

"He would be dead already if not for you," Eric snarled, not wanting to admit that his maker had a point. Through his rage, Eric had refused to see it that way. "My father's last dying wish was for me to get revenge. After a thousand years, I finally had the opportunity."

"A dead man’s wish is going to get you nothing but your head removed from your shoulders," Godric hissed. "You are behaving like a child, letting your emotions control your common sense. I have taught you better, I know I have."

Eric hissed back at Godric. "No, I am being more of a man than I have been these past centuries. I am doing my father's will, my real father."

Godric blinked at Eric's words. He couldn't believe his child had said that to him. After all their years together, after all the love they've shared... "You will lose everything just to play the role of someone you are not," Godric warned him.

That hurt Eric just as much as he had hurt his maker. "Who?!" he demanded.

"You are not some human boy mourning the loss of his father any longer. You are not someone who is willing to give up everything just for vengeance. It is insane!" Godric yelled, "You are a strong, superior vampire...you are my child...not some weakling! Your father’s remains are less than dust in the ground by now! The times have changed, Eric, how can you fail to see that?"

It was so much more than that to Eric. There was a much larger picture here. Godric made it sound like Russell knocked over his sand castle and now he wanted to steal a toy of his own. "I am willing to die gallantly. How does that make me a weakling!? You taught me to stand up for myself!"

"Yes, but not for humans who are dead and buried! Not at the cost of your own life!" Godric yelled right back just as a loud crash and the sound of Bill Compton screaming in pain silenced them.

Eric opened his mouth to say more, but they were interrupted when Bill came stumbling into the room, his face steaming and eyes clenched shut. Eric merely raised an eyebrow, knowing this was the work of Pam. When he first came back to Fangtasia to throw Talbot and Sookie into the dungeon, he had given Pam the silver-laced spray to use for her own protection. It offered them both very little assurance, but at least it had served some sort of purpose, and now, amusement, in such a dark time.

"Bill." Eric simply stated his name, "How nice to see you."

"I'm here to get Sookie," Bill demanded in a scratchy voice, trying to sound threatening. 

Godric frowned. "Sookie is not here. The last time I saw her she was leaving Russell's."

Bill ran to the bar sink and tried to rinse the poison off his face. He did not cease his groans of pain and he was still blind. He could sense exactly who was in the room, however. "Oh, she's here," he growled. "In the dungeon; I can feel her!"

Godric looked sharply at Eric. "Is this true? I get her out of Russell's clutches and you put her in your dungeon?!" Godric lost his temper. Eric knew how his maker felt about his extracurricular activities in the basement of Fangtasia.

This time, Eric winced when Godric shouted at him. His eyes remained focused on the blind vampire at the bar who was a bloody mess bent over the sink. "I have a plan," he insisted to his maker. "I am going to offer Russell something that not even he could refuse." For the first time, Eric turned his head to look at his maker. "This is perhaps the only way to leave matters even. It is the only way I may get out of this alive."

Godric strove to understand. "Russell has everything. What could you possibly have to offer, other than his kidnapped lover? You will be lucky if he even gives you a chance to bargain.”

Eric did not want to have this conversation with Bill and Pam in the room. He did not want to have this conversation at all. "You will disapprove of the answer to that question," he told his maker simply. "Very strongly so."

Before Godric could say anything, a half-blind Bill interrupted. "He's planning on offering Russell Sookie. For her fairy blood, for a walk in the sun..." he snarled in pain.

Godric had suspected that this was what his conniving child was planning. Why else would he have Sookie in the dungeon? "Even if you drain her completely, it will only allow for a few moments of exposure to sunlight," he insisted in a tone that made his disapproval obvious.

That was also very much a part of Eric’s plan, but not something that he was going to tell Godric. Only Pam knew, and he had commanded her to tell no one and not to stop him. It was perhaps one of the cruelest things he had ever done, and he realized it while he watched her try to hold herself together. Yet in his will, he had taken care of her; he had put her under the care of Godric.

Eric stood when he noticed Bill had gotten most of his sight back and was making his way to the basement. "I would not do that if I were you," he growled.

Bill didn't have time for a comeback before the door to the bar was suddenly kicked off its hinges.

"My, my, my. It seems I'm just in time for the party," Russell announced as he strutted in as if he owned the place. He surveyed the room before his eyes focused on Eric’s back. "I am very disappointed in you, Mr. Northman," he tisked, shaking his head, "We could have had something...special, you and I. Now I have to kill you in front of your maker."

Eric turned slowly to face the man he had been waiting to see. He didn’t look to his own maker. He didn’t want to see the fear for him in Godic eyes and know he had brought him so much pain. "That would not make us very even, Your Majesty," he stood up from his seat and took a few brave steps forward. "A little more than a thousand years ago, you set your wolves on the Vikings. You killed entire families, just for the sole purpose of developing a useless shit collection. But you see, you made one little mistake. One of the families you killed was mine."

Russell raised an eyebrow, not at all amused at the turn of events. "Well, you do know how to hold a grudge. Now bring me my child and I may allow you time to say goodbye before I rip your head off," he threatened, though he glanced at Godric, as the vampire took a step forward as if defending his child.

Eric sneered at Russell and took another brave step forward. "My maker loves me very much. I am his one and only child. I'm sure you know how it feels to be him right now. He would not let you near me." In all honesty, Eric really was not sure if Godric would try to stop Russell. Not after all Eric had put him through. "You may be powerful, but you cannot come past both me and my maker, especially because I am still full of his ancient blood."

The low growl from Godric only supported that promise. Russell looked at Godric. He wasn’t intimidated, but he wasn’t stupid, either. "Perhaps I can be talked out of ending your insignificant existence," he shrugged arrogantly.

Eric knew this was his chance. "Day walking. I can offer you day walking."

Russell stared at Eric in confusion before he scoffed. "It can't be done. Day walking is every vampire's dream, after all. If we knew how to accomplish it, we would have been doing it long ago."

Eric was glad to prove him wrong. He had Russell intrigued just as he expected, just as he planned. "It's an extremely rare opportunity, but it has been done. In fact, I have a little fairy hybrid in my basement right now," he smiled hatefully at the king. "Pam, bring her up," Eric ordered, and Pam hesitated. She looked to Godric as if silently pleading for him to do something.

"Pam." When Eric said it a second time, she reluctantly left the room and came back with Sookie struggling in her arms.

"Bill! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you, any of you!" she was shouting as she struggled vigorously.

Russell smiled a little evilly. "Why, this is a pleasant surprise. I'll tell you what, boy. We will both try her. I want you to go first. And if you throw in the other hybrid as dessert, we will call it even."

Russell nodded towards Godric, and the ancient vampire froze. There was no way he could have known. No one knew.

Going first was also part of his plan, but now, the tables had turned on Eric and now he was the one confused. "No," Eric answered quickly. "You are mistaken, he is no hybrid. He is a vampire. My maker."

Russell chuckled. "I don't make mistakes," he said, stepping closer to Godric and reaching out to run his fingers down his boyish face. "You see, I have been looking for him for a long time."

Eric stepped in between Russell and Godric and suppressed a growl. He didn’t have time to be confused or to demand answers from his maker. “I would know if his blood had special powers, I drink from him often," he said. "He is off-limits. It is the fairy-human or nothing."

"You are very possessive of him," Russell observed, "You expect me to just take your word on that? There is no telling what you two are hiding. I want a drink from him or my people, who are waiting for me outside, will swarm this building and kill everything in it. You’re choice, Viking."

Eric growled instinctively. He was not going to allow Godric to suffer for his sake, not any more. "No, you will not," he continued to stand as a tall barrier between the two vampires. "Not if you ever want to see your butt boy again."

Russell snickered. He would just kill Eric later and take Godric home with him. "Fine then," he said, walking over to where Sookie was bound. "You first, Viking."

"Wait a damn minute, here, before you assholes both kill me!" Sookie was definitely not going to surrender without a fight. Eric wondered if it was a typical fairy-hybrid trait, thinking of his own maker. "There is nothing in my blood that is a sunscreen for all y'all! And how is Godric a fairy too!?" she demanded.

"Actually, they are right..." Bill replied solemnly to the floor, and Sookie turned sharply to him.

"Bill!" she shouted, outraged. She turned to look at Godric as if he were her only hope. Her eyes turned soft as if she were silently pleading to him.

"It will be all right, Sookie. I promise," Godric promised her, but he knew that wasn't what she wanted to hear right now. He looked away as Eric advanced towards her with a hungry look on his face.

"You're an asshole too then, Godric! You hypocritical, little- ahh!" Sookie cried out when Eric growled and attacked her neck, feeding from her viciously, not wanting to hear anyone talk to Godric like that. Godric was going to live and Eric was also going to live to make all of this up to him, even if it took another thousand years.

Sookie screamed when she was attacked by both vampires and felt herself weakening. In that moment, her mind flashed back to the truck where Bill drained her dry. When at last Eric felt Sookie begin to lose consciousness, he tore his mouth from her neck and collapsed with the pleasure of her exotic blood coursing through his veins.

Russell pulled away soon after with his chin dripping with blood. "Well, I guess it’s time for a walk," he told Eric as Godric rushed to Sookie to check on her.

Pam could not stay silent any longer. She looked to Godric, hoping that now the boy-vampire would finally step up and put an end to this ridiculousness. Yet he remained stoic and detached as he felt for Sookie’s pulse.

"Please, don't..." Pam stepped forward and begged her maker again. 

Eric just smiled, still delirious from Sookie's blood overflowing in his veins. "I told you not to worry. It is not a good color on you," he soothed his child.

Assured that Sookie would live, Godric watched as Eric and Pam had their moment. He didn't think he could allow himself to have a moment with Eric now. He would be too tempted to drag him away by his hair and try and take on Russell himself. He eyed the King then as if he were considering how quickly he could tear his head off.

Pam had tied Bill up earlier, and now he was begging to feed Sookie his own blood. Godric ignored him. The girl had already had too much vampire blood in too short of a time span. Bill would end up accidentally killing her or turning her.

Pam turned away in tears, preferring to instead watch her maker risk his life on the camera. She knew the plan, but Godric did not, and she simply did not understand how he could be so calm.

Eric looked to his maker, although he refused to consider this goodbye. Without a word, he slowly made his way to the door. The sun had just risen and he could feel it in the weight of his limbs and in the blood he felt trickling out of his ears.

It was only then that it finally hit him that he was going to step out into the sun for the first time in over a thousand years. He never appreciated it enough as a mortal human. Not as much as he would now. He took deep breath as he opened the door and stepped out into the rising day. One slow step at a time, as if the next might kill him, he walked out from under the shade and into the light.

It blinded him at first, and when he closed his eyes, he could feel the heat wash over his body and he wept from the sheer pleasure of it.

Godric walked over to Pam to watch the TV screen. He appeared completely unconcerned, but Pam could hear his breath hitch when his child first stepped out into the sun.

"It worked!" Russell laughed in amazement as he watched Eric.

"What are you waiting for?" Pam asked as she turned to Russell. It was the final push Russell needed as he quickly made his way to the door.

When he was safely out of hearing range, Godric whispered, "He is beginning to burn." His eyes did not move from the image of Eric on the screen. He could feel his child’s pain as his own, but Eric did not call out to him. "Please, tell me he has a plan, otherwise I will retrieve him."

Pam felt it too, just as Godric did. They had not shared blood for many years, but she was still young and his pain was hers to bear. She turned quickly to Godric, finding comfort in him when there was none. "Is it true?” she asked boldly, “That you are a hybrid and that he has fed from you recently? Please tell me enough of your blood will sustain him... if so, Russell will burn faster, and he will live."

"He drank a lot," Godric said, not admitting to anything, but not denying it, either. He couldn't reassure her when he didn’t know himself. He watched as Eric handcuffed himself to Russell. This was all some big game of chicken and Godric didn't like the odds.

"How does he expect to get back here even if Russell does burn faster?" Pam asked through tears, already seeing a hole in the plan. The only human here was unconscious and weak from blood loss. "He insisted he would have enough strength to come back inside himself... And he insisted that Russell would die faster, that he would be stronger. Please tell me you can save him if he cannot save himself."

"I will or die trying," Godric reassured her. Eric's pain was suddenly too much for him to bear and he headed towards the door and the sunlight he hadn't seen in over two thousand years. He prayed to the gods of his youth but did not hesitate as he walked out into the day.

In the dungeon, Talbot screamed, knowing all too well what was happening to his maker. He was helpless but did not stop fighting against his bindings.

Eric had to bite back a scream as he felt the sun burn his flesh and he could not stop his panic. He didn’t expect to be burning this fast, even if Russell was burning faster.

Finally, the King collapsed onto the ground, weakened, and Eric looked down at him and forced himself to sneer.

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

Russell had never felt pain like this before.

He had allowed the Viking to trick him, and now, he knew he had to admit defeat or die in agony out here on the pavement. His pride might have killed him, but his feverish mind kept thinking of Talbot. His beautiful child.

"I'll give you anything...my crown, my riches...anything if you get me out of the sun," he rasped to the vampire beside him. “I will give you my crown…”

Even the pleasure of hearing Russell beg for his life did not make the burning pain Eric felt tolerable. "I don't want your collection of useless shit. You think that is what this is about? This is about something you can know nothing of," he hissed through his pain and anger. His skin felt as though it were melting off his bones and he was fighting back from calling for his maker. They were not done here.

"Please..." Russell choked before his eyes began to lose focus. Eric ignored him. The sound of his own skin sizzling was deafening enough in his ears. He wished only to stay alive long enough to watch Russell die. To watch his ashes blow away in the soft Louisiana breeze that was like daggers penetrating his own skin.

It was then that they were both suddenly immersed in shadow as if the sun were blocked by a large cloud. It was Russell who first looked daringly up at the body towering over them and was overwhelmed with what he saw. "An angel..." he gasped deliriously before he passed out from pain.

Eric was nearly blinded as he squinted his burning eyes at the image of the creature above him.

"Eric, this is enough," the soft voice that knew him filtered over his surrendered body. Through his delirium, Eric truly believed he was seeing a messenger. A beautiful messenger from whatever gods had come down to claim him. The creature was beaming with radiance, not burning, but gleaming with shades of brilliant blue. It was blue of only hottest flame, of the clearest of ocean waters, of the morning sky itself.

Eric was overcome by the beauty of it.

"I'm not ready to die. You can't take me," he told the creature from where he lay on the ground as the sun boiled him alive.

Godric bent down and reached over to break the handcuffs with a flick of his wrist. "Don't be melodramatic," he said, not realizing how he looked to his child. His skin glowed as if from a light coming from within.

He hefted Eric off the ground as if the six foot five Viking weighed nothing. Eric screamed when he felt his burnt skin touched, thinking that he could very well be carried away to Valhalla. Godric grabbed the unconscious King’s arm and dragged him behind as he walked gracefully and painlessly back towards the building.

Pam watched in awe and tears flowed freely now from both the physical and emotion pain of watching her maker suffer and from the beauty that she had just seen walk through the sun. She was unable to believe her eyes at first, thinking it must be something has to be wrong with the security cameras to make Godric's form look as though he was radiating light.

Godric left Russell on the floor and lowered Eric gently down on the couch. "Pam, Eric needs blood," he said, because as much as he wanted to give Eric more of his, he didn't want to weaken himself. He was also still angry at his child for risking his life needlessly.

He walked over to Bill and released him from where he was tied up and Pam rushed over to Eric and tore at her veins without hesitation. She pressed her bloody wrist to her maker's burnt lips and Eric's near-death instincts immediately took over and he drank greedily even as his body still steamed from the burns that covered his body.

Bill immediately went to Sookie, shook her, and shouted her name. Being feasted upon twice had weakened her. As much as Godric disliked her, he could not help but feel bad for her, as one half-breed to another. "Let me give her my blood; if you keep giving her yours you will turn her," he said to Bill.

Bill looked over in Eric's direction wearily. He knew that if he allowed Godric to give blood to Sookie, the Viking would be furious. But if he did not, Sookie could die. Eric was still drinking from Pam, still unconscious, so Bill nodded his head.

"That's enough, Eric, you idiot," Pam sobbed, but her voice was full of nothing but affection even as she cursed her maker. Eric was still burnt, as Pam's blood was still young and would heal him slowly. It hurt to open his eyes and he slipped in and out of consciousness. All the while, he thought of his glowing blue angel.

Godric looked over to make sure Pam was all right before he pulled Sookie to him and bit into his own wrist. He let his blood trickle down her throat and she responded almost immediately. Her eyelashes fluttered as she began to drink from Godric without any prompting. She even moaned at the taste.

Pam sat with her burnt maker, still feeling the heat on her skin. She smoothed his hair back and tried not to be weeping when he woke. Yet Eric’s body had fallen into an unconscious sleep yet again, as if he were trying to rest in order to heal faster.

Godric pulled away to let her lover take over. He knew he wasn't very good at offering physical comfort except to his own child. He kneeled down to look into Eric's sleeping face. "He is healing well," he told Pam after a few silent moments.

Pam was not convinced. "No, he's not. Sookie is healing faster than Eric," she gazed down at her maker with worry. Russell was still unconscious and forgotten and steaming on the ground, the silver handcuff still tight around his wrist and weakening him even more.

"What you saw out there... stays between us," he warned her, even though there were more dangerous beings that knew his secret now.

Sookie could recover on just a small amount of Godric’s blood, but Eric would have to take much more. Pam’s blood was healing him slowly, too slowly, and he could not bear to see his child suffer. A little more was all he needed to speed up his recovery. He bit into his own wrist again and forced it to Eric's mouth, desperate to feel close to him again. To bring Eric back to him.

So it was true, Pam thought to herself as she watched Godric feed Eric. Godric had been able to venture out into the sun. He had been able to remain unharmed, as if that surrounding light radiating off of him had protected him like a shield.

Eric moaned desperately when the first drop of his maker's blood hit his parched tongue. Still unconscious, his body was driven by its most primal urges to pull the wrist closer against his mouth, even if it set his nerves on fire to move at all.

"Shhhh, my love, I've got you now," Godric closed his eyes and whispered into Eric's ear. He kissed his child’s forehead as the burns began to heal.

Eric seemed to relax when he heard his maker's voice soothe him and his strong, familiar blood filled his veins. It was taking away the pain and he melted in relief as he began to gain back his strength and his consciousness. Once he was finally strong enough to realize what was happening and his mind began to clear, he ripped his maker's wrist away from him.

He was alive. Wounded, but alive.

Godric was worried when Eric stopped drinking but did not open his eyes. "What is it, Beloved? Do your eyes hurt?" he asked as his fingertip traced his child’s singed eyelashes.

Eric flinched when he felt Godric's gentle touch and he finally forced his eyes to open. He blinked a few times, staring straight up at his maker as if not believing Godric was not a figment of his imagination.

"I'm alive?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes...you were able to pull yourself and Russell to the shadow of the building and we retrieved you from there," Godric lied, but remained straight-faced. "I believe you thought Russell had been properly punished. I am proud of you for forgiving him, my child," he added.

Eric reached out for Godric instinctively as if he was going to leave him at any moment. He grabbed a fistful of Godric's shirt and tried to pull him closer, giving him a look of pure perplexity. Did this mean Russell was still alive, and that he had saved him by saving himself? Still half-delirious, Eric forgot everyone else in the room.

"You're not proud of me..." he disagreed, his voice hoarse.

Godric gently untangled Eric’s hands from his shirt out of discomfort. "I am glad you are all right. You should get some sleep.”

It was then that Eric soon became very much aware of where he was and who he shared this room with. He felt Godric push away and the pain from it rivaled the burns. Using renewed strength, he sat up shakily. He looked down at the unconscious, burned body of Russell on the floor.

"Bring his child up to give him his blood," he ordered Pam. Godric was relieved to hear it come from Eric’s mouth.

Talbot fought the entire way up from the basement, kicking and screaming. He knew his maker was still alive, but barely. He was not sure why he was being brought up from that dank, godforsaken basement. Was he going to be murdered too? He was too angry to find the proper English words to curse Eric, so he screamed in Greek.

"Your maker has been properly punished. He is weak and dying, but I will allow you to give him your blood. He has relinquished his crown and is no longer King. He has no more power, and neither do you," Eric told him simply.

Seeing the charred body of his maker on the ground, Talbot did the smart thing for once and bit his tongue to keep from saying something he would regret. "I can heal him and you will allow us to leave?" he questioned, not quite believing it, but willing to do anything to bring his lover back to him.

Eric glared at Talbot and ordered the silver off of him. "Leave and never come back. I was going to kill him, you see. You as well. I care nothing for you both. But I respect my own maker too much to do that. If I ever see you again, either of you, I may not be so kind in sparing your lives," Eric growled. "He has given the title of King to me. Everything you once owned is mine. Whether I take the title or not is mine to decide, but your maker must live the remainder of eternity knowing how it feels to lose everything."

Talbot nodded frantically and threw himself down beside his broken maker. As long as he had Russell, he would be okay. He didn't need anything else. They could start over somewhere far away from here. "I understand, and he will too.”

Eric went behind the bar and grabbed a few Tru Blood bottles, knowing Pam would take it from there. It was then that he realized Godric had gone upstairs. Now that it was all over, he did not want to speak with Pam right now. He could not believe he had been so set on getting revenge that he was willing to orphan her.

He drank the disgusting synthetic blood until he was practically bursting with it and walked slowly upstairs to his apartment. He stepped into the dark bedroom, and when his eyes adjusted, he could see Godric resting on the bed. He could not look at him. "You need to feed from me," he whispered. “Let me give some of it back to you.”

"I am not hungry," Godric reassured him. "I just need to rest."

Eric desperately craved his maker's forgiveness but knew that he would have to earn it back. "You should put your own feelings for me aside and just do it, so I don't worry," he pleaded.

Godric sighed. "I'll feed when you’re resting," he compromised.

Godric had a way of making Eric feel like an infant even after a thousand years. He sighed and stripped himself of his shirt and reached in one of his drawers for a pair of sweats. The fact that Godric was still here meant something, but tomorrow would be a different story. He slowly settled down underneath the black satin covers, needing the feel of the embrace that he knew was about to immerse him in comfort.

Godric curled up to Eric and rested his head on his lover's shoulder. He idly ran his fingers over his chest. "You almost died," he whispered into the dark.

Eric sighed and relaxed for the first time in a long time. "You almost did something very stupid on that rooftop, too. And don't tell me that was different. We both risked our lives for selfish reasons."

Godric kissed Eric's shoulder. "I love you," he said, wrapping his arms around Eric's waist.

Eric melted at those words and turned to wrap himself in his maker's arms. "What I feel for you cannot be simplified in that word," he whispered, and buried his face in Godric's neck to inhale his scent. He was still shaky and overwhelmed from his time in the sun. It had been one of the most brilliantly beautiful, but painful and terrifying moment of his life.

"It is a powerful word. Others just throw it around too often," Godric said and his hands tangled in Eric's blone hair that had regained its beautiful luster.

Eric closed his eyes. "You don't hate me after all I’ve done?" he felt foolish asking, but he needed to know.

"I could not hate you, no matter what you do. You are my greatest weakness," he heard his maker answer him truthfully.

Eric laid his forehead against his maker's inked chest. No matter how much he aged, he would never stop wanting his maker's approval. He knew better than to expect it now, however, "You may not hate me, but you are disappointed."

"Yes," Godric answered, not bothering to deny it, "I wish you would have told me why you were so intent on finding the vampire who was giving werewolves his blood."

Eric held Godric a little tighter, his face still buried in his chest. "I don't have regrets. I got the revenge I needed. My father's spirit can be at rest," he whispered.

He remembered the vision he had out in the sun, the brilliant blue light that had come to save him, and he knew that some sort of higher being had lead his way back into safety.

"I am glad it is over," Godric said as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, inhaling Eric's scent. "You will give me grey hair before it is all said and done," he smiled at his own use of such a human phrase.

Eric did have one regret. He wished he had been able to walk in the sun, like he had thought he could. Russell had not been the only one willing to risk it all to experience another day on this earth. "I thought your blood would have kept me from burning," he whispered sadly, and then he remembered something. “Russell had called you a half-breed. What did he mean? You are not…you can’t be…” He searched Godric's eyes for answers to questions he did not know how to ask.

Godric tensed, but he knew this time for questioning would come. “I am a vampire. Only while I was human could I be considered, as you put it, a half-breed. My mother was gifted. My father was not. And we are who we were born, even after all these centuries. I did not tell you because it was not important for you to know, and it would have put both our lives in danger,” he confessed, leaving Eric dumbstruck.

“Why did your blood and Sookie’s blood not save me from the sun then?” he asked.

"That is a foolish assumption, rumored by those of our kind who have lost their way in the darkness. It has never done so before," he pointed out. It was better Eric did not know. It was better that no one knew. "We are vampires, my love. We were not meant to walk in the sun. The darkness is our realm, and in it we shall find eternal light."

Eric swallowed down those words. "If you thought you had the chance to do it, just once more, you would have been tempted to walk in the sun as well," he challenged uncertainly, because he could not believe that Godric did not miss the sun after over two thousand years of night.

Godric smiled. "I do not remember what it was like. It was too long ago and I was just a child with a child's memory."

Eric laid his head on Godric's chest again over his un-beating heart. "In a way, that is a blessing, I would think. You were made too young to miss being human as much," he whispered, but he knew being made so young was equally a curse.

"This is true. But enough talk about things we can never have. You should rest. I can feed from you when we wake," Godric told him.

Eric shook his head. "I can’t rest until you have gained back the strength I took from you. I am practically bursting with it, please take it from me..." he pleaded. His reasons for wanting his maker to drink were not entirely unselfish, however.

Godric pushed Eric onto his back as he moved to lie on top of him. He leaned down to capture his child’s lips in a deep, heated kiss before moving to his neck. "I will not take much," he whispered, nipping at the mark he had left on him a thousand years ago.

"I would give you all of me if you wanted it," Eric whispered, even though he knew Godric would only take what he needed and not a drop more. "Russell may not be worth dying over, I have realized this. But I would gladly do so for you."

"I would rather you not die at all," the vampire boy smiled before his fangs snapped into place and he bit down gently into Eric's neck. Eric thrilled and moaned as he felt Godric pulling on his heart strings and gulping down his very being. He was delirious from the pleasure by the time it ended and exhaustion began to take its toll on him. He could smell his own blood on Godric and he finally felt relaxed.

Godric pulled away and licked his lips. He rested his weight on his forearms as he gazed lovingly down at Eric. He kissed the tip of his nose before he kissed each of his closed eyelids.

"When I was in the sun...I didn’t save myself. It was something else... something was out there with me, besides the King," he tried to explain to Godric. Now that he was half-inside a dream, he could remember it clearly.

Godric snuggled up onto Eric and buried his face in his neck so his lover couldn't see his expression. "You were in pain and delirious, my child. It was stories your dissolving mind was telling to you."

Eric shook his head, his arms wrapping around his lover's waist. "No...I mean yes, but I know what I saw and it was real," he insisted, although he knew Godric would never truly understand. No one would. “It was so real, and so beautiful… I have laid eyes on a god…”

Against his neck, Eric felt a smile.

"Get some rest."

Eric simply did not have the energy to argue as he felt his eyes closing in time with his maker's and he let the dream float him away.

THE END.


End file.
